Most normal labeling systems using self-adhesive labels are fed by a supply of labels mounted on a backing strip which is wound up on a reel. With increasing speeds of labeling, and the fact that there is no possibility for splicing a reel until it is fully unwound, the downtime for changing input supply reels becomes a significant portion of the cycle of operation of the labeling system.
Accordingly, an important object of the present invention is to simplify and reduce the downtime of self-adhesive labeling systems.
It has also been proposed to use fan-folded labels, in one case for the labeling of newspapers. However, problems have been encountered in the handling of fan-folded labels as they do not have the inherent stability of a roll of labels mounted on a reel. Accordingly, in the course of transferring the fan-folded labels from the originating machine, into packages, and then in transferring the fan-folded labels from packages into the vertically oriented three-sided racks for holding the labels, some loss and wastage was encountered as piles of labels would fall to the floor or become disarranged from the neat and proper fan-folded stack arrangements.
Accordingly, another important object of the present invention is to provide a simple and reliable system for handling the inherently unstable stacks of fan-folded labels.